Estimation and Analysis of Soil Hydraulic Properties Using Beerkan Infiltration Experiment

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Lecturer, Department of Water Engineering, University of Guilan, Iran

2 Assistant Profeser, Department of Water Engineering, University of Guilan, Iran

3 Associate Profeser, Department of Soil Sciences, University of Guilan, Iran

4 Former MSc Student, Department of Soil Sciences, University of Guilan, Iran

Abstract

A Study of water and contaminants transport in the vadose zone demands for a
determination of soil hydraulic properties. The current study aimed at estimating and
analysing the soil hydraulic parameters through an inexpensive experiment of Beerkan
within six sample points of various soil textural classes, in Asalem region, Guilan (Iran).
Shape and scale parameters of the hydraulic characteristic curves were estimated from
particle size distribution analysis and infiltration experiment respectively. Four fitting
methods were employed and copmaired including BEST-slope (B/s), BEST-intercept
(B/i), Derivative Linearization (DL) and Cumulative Linearization (CL). Although scale
parameters were estimated through DL and CL methods easier than through B/s and B/i
methods, but the estimated values did not come out to be valid in any of the experimental
point. On the other hand, B/s and B/i methods acted as complementary to each other and
estimated accurate values for scale parameters of all the six experimental points. The
estimated values of sorptivity through B/s and B/i method were not significantly
different, but saturated hydraulic conductivity values estimated through B/i exceeded the
B/s values. Also a comparison of these two methods through relative error showed that
B/s is more accurate than B/i. It seems that B/i method leads to an overestimation of the
saturated hydraulic conductivity. It is recommended therefore to make use of B/s method
for estimating soil hydraulic properties.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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